Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) vehicles have been in existence for some time and are valued for their ability to initiate flight without needing a runway. In addition to their ability to take-off and land vertically, VTOLs and other rotorcraft (e.g. helicopters, drones, ‘quadcopters’) are often more maneuverable, versatile, and better suited for unmanned flight conditions. In more recent years, there has been an explosion of VTOLs for recreational and consumer applications in the form of radio-controlled (RC) ‘drones’ (also known as quadcopters). As drones become more sophisticated, powerful, and reliable, there is an opportunity to leverage advantages of drone technology to meet a wider array of applications, including commercial and personal transportation.
Drones geared towards transporting more critical cargo are faced with a different set of challenges and requirements than those used for recreation. The criticality and risk of motor failure while transporting critical cargo is of much greater consequence than it is for recreational applications. Most drones on the market do not have a mechanism for monitoring the health of its motors. As a result, there is little recourse for currently available drones to maintain desired flight characteristics and/or land safely if the drone experiences motor failure. For critical applications, such as those of transporting humans, sensitive materials, and heavy cargo, safety measures that include monitoring motor health and having onboard contingency mechanisms are of utmost importance.
It is in this context that embodiments of the invention arise.